If there’s one genre that really embraces the true potential of video games, it’s simulation. With simulation games, one can fulfil every dream they’ve ever had, from the more modest professions like long haul train driving, to the somewhat more unrealistic manager of a football club–even the downright impossible, such as an intergalactic trader in a futuristic universe, is made possible in a video game. Yet, despite their broad range of subjects, one thread tying most simulation games together is that their topics are usually things that people would love to do in real life. That isn’t the case for The Escapists, a simulation game that asks the player to plan and execute escape from gaol.

The Escapists presents the player with six different prisons with varying degrees of difficulty, and, after a very threadbare tutorial, shoves the player into the deep end. Sure, the deep end is the “very easy” difficulty prison Center Perks, but there’s no way I would’ve been able to escape even it without the help of an online guide or two. The tutorial runs you through the basics of the game, such as how combat and crafting work, and guides you through escaping via unscrewing the air vent in your cell and climbing out of the prison. That said, there are countless ways of escaping left to be explored, and every single one requires you to really pay attention to what you’re doing. You need to be aware of where you’re expected to be at all times as determined by the prison’s daily schedule; your fellow inmates, tasks they have given you and their opinions of you; your attributes and what you need to get them to; completing your daily job quota to stay in the guards’ good books and ensure that you have money coming in every day. Even in the easiest prison, guards are more than happy to send you to the infirmary for straggling just a few minutes behind for a meal.

On the surface, the Escapists’ generic 16-bit indie charm might suggest that the game is rather shallow or simplistic. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Even after spending a ton of time playing the Escapists, and even longer reading about it, I still don’t know a quarter of what there is to know about the items and mechanics that lie beneath. There are hundreds of different items, some legal and some contraband, with hundreds of different ways of combining these items to make more items. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately, depending on how much you enjoy reading guides), many of these crafting recipes aren’t all that intuitive. I usually shun the idea of guides, particularly in a game such as the Escapists that is all about finding your own path, but how else was I supposed to know that combining two files and duct tape would make a pair of wire cutters? And then combining them with another file and roll of duct tape would make sturdier cutters? Or that if I couldn’t find any files or duct tape, I could combine three lots of dental floss to make an alternate cutting tool?

The Escapists is the sort of game that requires you to read a manual, so I’m a bit disappointed that Mouldy Toof haven’t provided an official guidebook or manual or anything. I understand their desire to encourage the community to discover the true depth of the game, and to be fair there are tons of community-made guides (of varying quality) online, however it makes it a bit daunting to jump in without much information as to what you’re actually doing.

Finally, I’d managed to carve a hole in my cell wall and cover it with a poster. I had wire cutters, a guard’s outfit, and a bed dummy so I wouldn’t be noticed missing. This is about five minutes before I botched my escape and a sniper took me down.

The way that I’m talking about the overwhelming complexity of the Escapists, it might come off like I think it’s a bad thing. It’s not. It’s daunting, sure, but it’s not necessarily a negative feature. The primary effect it has on gameplay is instilling a requirement for meticulous planning of your escape. There are so, so, so many things that can go wrong and cause your entire escape to go tits up. Even the tiniest little mistake will see you in solitary for a couple of days, your cell cleaned out of all the invaluable contraband you’ve managed to obtain. Weeks and weeks of in-game time are required to plan an escape and acquire the necessary materials; something as simple as a poster to cover up the hole you’ve chiselled through your cell wall requires a magazine and a roll of duct tape, the latter of which is highly sought after and always in scarce supply.

I also have to mention the humour provided by the one-liners that your fellow prisoners are constantly spitting out. Sure, there’s the low-brow “Don’t drop the soap!” line that at least one character invariably says during each daily shower block, but as a general rule the jokes and gossip that come from the prisoners are funny, clever, and an important factor in elevating the prison and its prisoners from simple pixels to genuine characters.

One down, five to go.

One genuine gripe I do have is with the control system. The Escapists plays out in a low-resolution window and is controlled with WASD for your character’s movement and the mouse for interaction. Given the low resolution that the game plays at and the grid-based maps that make up the prisons, the movement system feels very touchy and difficult to control. More than once I had trouble passing through a single-unit square such as a hole in my cell wall as quickly as I might have liked, due to not being able to line up my prisoner with the hole. Items are carried in slots 1-6 which were regularly just totally non-responsive. I noticed this most prominently while working in the laundry; half the time, clicking the clean laundry into the clean laundry basket simply did not work. Far more often than I should, I found myself having to use an item more than once just to get it to do what I wanted it to do. No, it’s not a deal-breaker, but it does make the Escapists just that little bit harder to enjoy.

Continuing with the control system, I would have absolutely loved controller support. I’m the sort of person who uses keyboard and mouse when it’s obviously an advantage (FPS, strategy, etc) but prefer using a PS3 controller when I can get away with it, such as in platformers (see: Spelunky) and open world action games (see: Sleeping Dogs). The Escapists was released for Xbox One as well as PC, so a control mechanic for a joypad was obviously designed. Why can’t there be an option to use that system on PC as well?

The Escapists is a deceivingly deep and staggeringly original experience that you could easily sink hundreds of hours in to and still not know everything there is to know. Sure, it’s (relatively) easy to escape Center Perks, but Her Majesty’s Prison Irongate will take you a couple of dozen hours real-time and most likely months of in-game time to formulate, organise and execute the great escape. It’s not a perfect game by any means, and if the idea of sifting through guide after guide doesn’t appeal to you then maybe you’re better off giving this one a miss, but if the Escapists piques your interest then you certainly won’t be disappointed.

6.8

Select Start Media was provided with a copy of the Escapists by Surprise Attack.

]]>http://selectstartmedia.net/2015/02/25/the-escapists/feed/0pearly27escapists2015-02-10_00004Finally, I'd managed to carve a hole in my cell wall and cover it with a poster. I had wire cutters, a guard's outfit, and a bed dummy so I wouldn't be noticed missing. This is about five minutes before I botched my escape and a sniper took me down.One down, five to go.Nick’s Game of the Year 2014http://selectstartmedia.net/2015/02/24/nicks-game-of-the-year-2014/
http://selectstartmedia.net/2015/02/24/nicks-game-of-the-year-2014/#commentsTue, 24 Feb 2015 01:47:08 +0000http://selectstartmedia.net/?p=509974070]]>2014 has been a hard year to conjure Game of the Year nominations for, but not due to an overwhelming number of options, a problem I wouldn’t mind having right now. The year had some interesting releases sprinkled throughout, yet the dread of all the disappointments brought (shockingly) by the major developers has left me preferring not to look back on the year that regrettably was, but here are some highlights.

Battleblock Theater was re-issued for PC, and Abe’s Oddyssey returned as Oddworld: New N Tasty for PS4. Octodad: The Dadliest Catch and The Swapper proved several barrels-worth of enjoyment for too few hours, while Ubisoft’s South Park: The Stick of Truth and Valiant Hearts both managed to exceed my high expectations. It doesn’t seem so bad when I describe it that way, so I guess I’d better stop there.

My vote for GotY goes to a game that offered some strain of innovation without forcing me to consider reading the returns policy, a sad rarity for 2014.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is a repetitive game, and the game-world quickly feels almost claustrophobic considering how ridiculously fast you can traverse it. The story is a trite continuation of lore we’ve heard before, with Lord of the Rings quotes shoe-horned amongst regular dialogue clichés in an effort to establish rapport with long-term fans. Fans that would probably scoff at this newcomer to Middle-earth, but hey, they made an effort, so that’s good…?

That just about summarises my every beef with M-e:SoM (I hope to hell that no one actually uses that acronym). It’s safe to assume then that yes, the rest of the game is fantastic. The fighting mechanics meet the standard for open-world third-person RPG games, outdoing the half-assed efforts of a particular bogged series everyone seems to be infatuated with. It is clear when and how you should counter enemies’ attacks, and it feels good to kill the bad guys, which means Shadow of Mordor wins.

The Nemesis system is awesome and incomprehensible, inexplicable fun, and I urge any and all to play this title just to experience it. Just do it, seriously. Mainly because I doubt we’ll see many more developers willing to work on such a system any time soon. Innovation is a privilege it seems; experience it when the opportunity arises.

And now I’m all angry, this is why I don’t like to think about 2014. I’m going back to Apotheon, screw you guys.

After what seems like an age (I’m hilarious) of being glued to the PS4, I think I’m finally ready to talk about Dragon Age: Inquisition, the biggest game and first ever RPG to be made using the Frostbite engine. By claiming a powerful narrative, complex characters and an introductory area said to be bigger than the lands of the first two Dragon Age games combined, BioWare have set high standards for the game and it has been surrounded by a level of hype that can often be dangerous. We’ve already seen some AAA titles fall flat this year, so how does Dragon Age fare?

Before you get any other ideas, I’m going to give the answer to you simply. Those expectations I just mentioned? It surpasses them. I’m a big fan of the previous games in this series, as well as the Mass Effect trilogy for which BioWare are so well known, meaning that I too came into this game hoping for something wonderful. I look to BioWare to provide me with a fleshed out world and storyline, along with the type of character that quite frankly, I wish I could see in every game that is released, and they don’t disappoint. Inquisition is no exception. This review is just going to be filled with me waxing lyrically about all the reasons that this game deserves all the accolades that are being showered upon it, so you might want to prepare yourself.

In saying that, there are several reasons why that won’t involve me talking about much of the plot. The first is that there isn’t much that can be said without spoiling it, and most of the enjoyment of the game obviously lies in experiencing the twists and turns for yourself. The second, however, is that any description of the plot that came to mind honestly felt like it was cheapening just how deep and expansive this game is. The basic gist of it all is that you play as the Inquisitor – an individual who is marked by a dramatic turn of events at the game’s commencement, and who becomes able to close rifts that have opened up around the world of Thedas. The exact nature of this mark, its actual origins, and the meaning behind it are unknown, everyone around you just seems to know that it is powerful, and because it is powerful, you must be too. So naturally, everyone suddenly expects you to have answers to all of these burning questions, and you become involved in the investigation into this strange happening, while facing criticism and skepticism from the people that put you in the position of power.

This was supposed to be a shot of how pretty my Inquisitor is, but instead she looks a little demonic. Trust me on the not-having-demon-eyes, okay?

While all this is going on, however, the problems that faced Thedas before this new complication are still posing a problem. These are the issues that fans of the first two games will be familiar with (tensions between the mages and the templars, racial disputes, the discord between the wealthy and the lower class, etc.) and it was these issues that felt the most pressing to me, even as the world faced impending doom from an unknown power. There were a few times when I got so caught up worrying about politics and individual struggles that I honestly forgot about the broader plot, because there were too many other intricate details of the world to consider, and personally I consider that to be an achievement on behalf of the writers. I almost didn’t need the broader reason to continue playing, because the world provided me with enough on its own. That’s not to say that the overarching plot isn’t brilliant, of course – it was touching, surprising, everything I expected it to be and more. But, like I said, no description really feels like it will do it justice.

As usual, the protagonist would be useless without their merry band of loyal (or not so loyal) companions, and this time around there are more to be recruited. There are nine in total, all of varying races, genders, classes and sexualities, and no two of them feel overwhelmingly similar. They all come with their own tragic, touching or just downright infuriating backstories, and there wasn’t a single companion quest that I didn’t enjoy doing, or a single cast member that I didn’t rush to talk to as soon as there was a new dialogue option available. Not all are romanceable, but some more romance options do exist in the form of your advisors, who cannot join your party but still play a large role in your experience as Inquisitor. Again, they’re not all romanceable either, but there are some good reasons for that. It’s worth noting that some of these characters will be familiar faces and their histories differ slightly based on how they fared across the other games in your individual playthroughs, so they really do feel like the same characters you’ve been on previous journeys with.

These screenshots don’t do justice to the graphics. This is a more majestic Inquisitor shot, though.

This is made possible by a new feature known as ‘The Keep’, an interactive decision tree of sorts that can be completed online which then imports all the choices you made in previous games into DA:I to form Thedas into the world it would have become based on your previous strategies. It’s sort of like a much larger version of Mass Effect’s Genesis and Genesis 2 comics that allowed you to make the choices of the previous games and have them affect your future gameplay without directly importing a save file. For me personally, this new feature provided a great aid to making me feel even more immersed in the world, beautifully linking Inquisition to Origins and DA:II. Having said that, I did hear a few reports of friends playing the PS3 version of the game that were unable to successfully import their Keeps, but I can’t confirm whether that’s a few isolated incidents or whether this was a broader issue.

Alongside the Keep, the other new addition to the series is the new ‘tactical’ mode of gameplay, allowing the player to freeze the game during battles and manually control every move of their party without worrying about constantly pausing and unpausing to issue directions, or just constantly letting everyone run around in a frenzied mess setting each other on fire, which were pretty much the options of the previous games. This new mode allows fights to function almost as they would in a turn-based strategy game, and it proved exceedingly useful during the tougher boss fights. Of course, the option to throw yourself straight into the battle like in previous games still remains and it’s certainly the quicker way to get through enemies, but it’s also far messier. If you want a more sophisticated battle (or the ability to freeze your party in hilarious poses and then move the camera so you can laugh at them from different angles) then the new mode is for you.

Also majestic, and look at that water. Gorgeous. (You also might be starting to get an idea of who was included in my usual party).

I played this on PS4 and quite frankly the game is visually stunning. As in, the prettiest game I’ve ever played type stunning. The colours are vibrant, the details so lovingly crafted and oh my god, some of those panoramas… I could drool just thinking about them. This game is gorgeous. If this is what the Frostbite engine can do, then the future of gaming is very, very bright. Every location feels unique, even the ones that are set on quite similar terrain, because every single place just feels so alive. I’ve started to wax lyrical again, but it’s just so beautiful, as is the soundtrack. There’s nothing more to say about it, the whole atmosphere is incredible. Plus, you can experience it on a mount now, which always makes things better. Unfortunately, doing so does mean that you miss out on a bit of party banter, which is disappointing, but I think having your party riding alongside you on their own mounts while continuing to talk amongst themselves might be a little too much to ask for.

I didn’t play much of the multiplayer, because to me it isn’t really a reason for playing this game. It was there, it was fine, it worked much like the multiplayer in Mass Effect 3 – team up with strangers, fight your way through waves of enemies, emerge victorious. Or don’t, and crawl dramatically across the ground bleeding out while the bastards who have supposedly got your back ignore you entirely. Either way, the combat is much the same as it is in the story mode, and you can unlock different classes to play as you earn experience in multiplayer.

An example of the new way to fight. Things feel more controlled, and can be sped through and paused at any point.

Ultimately, the people that are going to get the most enjoyment out of this game are those that have played the previous games in the series, but I think that’s true for most franchises. It’s one of this game’s biggest strength, but to be honest I also found it to be one of its weaknesses. If you don’t have the patience to read through the things you pick up, or to retain large amounts of information about the world of Thedas, then you might feel a little lost. I had two games to get used to this world, and even I struggled to keep track of everyone and everything. The game is just so big. Too big? Maybe not, if you’re really keen, but I personally felt just a little overwhelmed. I guess it’s value for money, though.

I’ve barely scratched the surface of why everyone is talking about Dragon Age, but when you can put more than 100 hours into something over the course of a few weeks, I think that speaks volumes. I attacked this game with a veracity and persistence that I rarely feel with games, and was compelled by a genuine desire to come back to it in every free moment that I had. Yes, there were a few glitches, like my character inexplicably gliding around like they were falling for a good five minutes and some of those pesky invisible walls that seem like a cheap way of prohibiting areas from being explored, but to be honest I never felt like those problems even came close to outweighing the amazing elements of this game. It’s not perfect, but it’s the closest thing to perfect that I’ve played in a long, long time. Plus, it provided me with a love story that will last the ages, because nobody will ever convince me that Josephine and I aren’t the cutest darn thing to ever be. And yes, when discussing such a huge and incredible game that is exactly the note I want to end on.

9.2

Select Start Media was provided with a review copy of Dragon Age: Inquisition for PS4 by EA Games Australia

]]>http://selectstartmedia.net/2015/01/08/dragon-age-inquisition/feed/0jesszammitda inquisitionThis was supposed to be a shot of how pretty my Inquisitor is, but instead she looks a little demonic. Trust me on the not-having-demon-eyes, okay?These screenshots don't do justice to the graphics. This is a more majestic Inquisitor shot, though. Also majestic, and look at that water. Gorgeous. (You also might be starting to get an idea of who was included in my usual party). An example of the new way to fight. Things feel more controlled, and can be sped through and paused at any point.Far Cry 4http://selectstartmedia.net/2014/12/22/far-cry-4/
http://selectstartmedia.net/2014/12/22/far-cry-4/#commentsMon, 22 Dec 2014 10:38:51 +0000http://selectstartmedia.net/?p=509974045]]>

I can’t say that I’ve ever truly wanted to ride an elephant in a video game. It’s never really been a major selling point for me. So when Far Cry 4‘s marketing revolved heavily around the ability to do just that, I was highly sceptical. Surely there’s more to FC4 than just riding elephants? Well, after playing the fourth installment in possibly Ubisoft’s last respected franchise, I have come to the conclusion that the answer is much more complicated than a simple yes or no.

Despite never really releasing a “classic” game in its previous 3 releases, the Far Cry franchise has maintained a level of fan support that many AAA titles would be incredibly envious of. There’s very little cynicism and disillusionment that has plagued other large franchises like Call of Duty and Assassin’s Creed; this could possibly be attributed to the fact that Far Cry has not fallen into the annual release pattern that the other franchises follow. The first three Far Cry games were each separated by four years of development time, and each saw its fair share of praise from fans and critics alike.

That pattern has altered with Far Cry 4, which was released only two years after its predecessor. That was the second reason I was sceptical. The main marketing focus was elephant riding, and it’s only been in development for a maximum of two years? I was a bit worried that the last beloved franchise was going the way of too many before it.

Yeah, I definitely never saw anything like this (source: technobuffalo) (also I forgot to take my own screenshots so until I get around to updating this, these screenshots are borrowed)

In the end, Far Cry 4 really could have been titled Far Cry 3 1/2. It probably would have been more effective at communicating exactly what the game is–a huge standalone expansion pack for Far Cry 3. Maybe I’m being ignorant in claiming that and there’s actually a huge amount behind the scenes that has evolved and I completely didn’t notice, but it really doesn’t seem like that. To be fair, Far Cry 4 is no step backwards for the series–it’s a far superior game to its predecessor in almost every way–but it’s not enough of a step forward to warrant much excitement.

Far Cry 4 opens with your character Ajay Ghale as a passenger in a convoy. He has just returned to Kyrat (see: Nepal), the country of his birth, on his way to fulfil his mother’s dying wish and lay her ashes to rest in a mysterious place called Lakshmana. Almost immediately, shit hits the fan, and Ajay is abducted by the eccentric dictator Pagan Min. Pagan invites Ajay to dinner, they have the crab rangoon, and the protagonist escapes with the insurgent group known as the Golden Path, which was founded by Ajay’s father. If there’s one thing that the Far Cry series always does exceptionally well, it’s the narrative, and Far Cry 4 is no exception–its story is consistently engaging, very relevant, and drives the game forward–almost to a fault. I had trouble with motivation to do the sidequests simply because of how much I wanted to play through the main story missions. It’s nothing out of the ordinary for the series as a whole, following the classic Far Cry greyscale morality, but it remains leaps and bounds ahead of the stories in 99% of big-budget AAA games (surpassed only by Far Cry 2).

source: Forbes

While we’re on the subject of story, I thought I’d mention the secret ending that everyone has been talking about. Towards the start of the game, as Ajay is sitting down to eat with Pagan Min, the latter will excuse himself and ask Ajay to just wait for ten minutes. This, of course, is when the player character gets up and escapes from Pagan’s clutches. But it’s entirely possible to just sit there and wait–in about fifteen minutes, Pagan Min will return, he takes Ajay to Lakshmana to lay his mother’s ashes, and the credits roll. While I think this is a brilliantly creative response to the rising cynicism levels of the average gamer, I’d recommend players against it until they’ve already finished the game. This is because Pagan Min pretty much gives away the entire plot of the main campaign in the secret ending, and you really don’t want it to be ruined for you. On a side note, Pagan Min is an infinitely better crafted and more interesting character than Vaas from Far Cry 3–he’s really one of the most fascinating, human and yet terrifying antagonists I’ve experienced for quite some time.

One thing I found particularly interesting was the pronunciation of Ajay Ghale’s name. Being raised in the United States, he calls himself A. J. Gail; in contrast, everyone he meets in Kyrat calls him Arjay Gharli. It was the little details like that, which aren’t forced in front of the player but rather are just subtly used to further the realism of Kyrat, which really displayed just how much care was taken into crafting the world itself and the characters within it. Pagan Min speaks with a broad English accent–this might seem out of place, until you realise that he was born and raised in Hong Kong, which was at the time a British colony, to one Hongkonger parent and one British parent. This explains his accent and East Asian appearance, and its inclusion in the story is not at all hamfisted or over the top.

Environment-wise, Far Cry 4 is essentially Far Cry 3, but set in Nepal rather than an unspecified tropical island in the Pacific. Just like Far Cry 3, it manages to maintain the perfect balance of pleasantness and unforgiving. Graphically, it can be beautiful, but wander around in the wilderness for too long and you’re bound to meet up with a tiger, or spotted leopard, or even a vicious flock of honey badgers–let’s just say you’ll probably end up dead. Radio towers and outposts operate pretty much exactly the same as they did in the predecessor, which I’m not really complaining about as taking down the outposts was one of the most enjoyable things about Far Cry 3. One major new feature is the gyrocopter, which allows for unprecedented freedom and movement around the world. Suddenly, with the copter and the boats scattered along the river that bisects Kyrat, I found myself actively avoiding fast travel as simply manually travelling was so much fun.

source: INCgamers

Throughout his campaign to take down Pagan Min, Ajay finds himself undertaking a bunch of covert missions further up the Himalayas, an environment which is brilliantly created to be claustrophobic, intimidating, and yet still beautiful to just gaze out at. There are also a handful of missions in the mystical realm of Shangri-La, which has been overrun with demons… or something? I have to be honest, while the environments of Shangri-La were absolutely jaw-droppingly gorgeous, the sequences were possibly my least favourite aspect of the game. I never quite wrapped my head around what exactly was going on in those missions, or why they were included in the game at all.

Far Cry 4 improves on its tropical predecessor in every respect. The protagonist isn’t a dudebro cunt who you can’t relate to at all (he’s just a blank slate, which isn’t amazing, but it’s better), the antagonist is a multi-faceted character and more than just a crazy, Kyrat is much more interesting and rewarding to explore than the Rook Islands and the gyrocopter is a more than welcome addition to the line-up of vehicles. That said, Far Cry 4 doesn’t really provide much that is more than just improvements on Far Cry 3–there’s no overwhelming or interesting new features to discuss. The co-op–which really should be the revolution from FC3–is undercooked, not fully functional, and can only be used in side-quests, which is a real shame. I thoroughly enjoyed everything that Far Cry 4 had to offer, it’s definitely not the beginning of a downward spiral for the series. And yet, I can’t help but feel like there’s much more to come from the franchise, and that this entry is simply a (very fun) stopgap to tide fans over while they wait for the next serious installment. If I have one final thing to add, it’s that eagles are right cunts.

7.9

Select Start Media was provided with a review copy of Far Cry 4 by Ubisoft.

]]>http://selectstartmedia.net/2014/12/22/far-cry-4/feed/0pearly27fc4Yeah, I definitely never saw anything like this (source: Forbes) (also I forgot to take my own screenshots so until I get around to updating this, these screenshots are borrowed)source: Forbessource: INCgamersAssassin’s Creed Unityhttp://selectstartmedia.net/2014/12/16/assassins-creed-unity/
http://selectstartmedia.net/2014/12/16/assassins-creed-unity/#commentsTue, 16 Dec 2014 09:03:07 +0000http://selectstartmedia.net/?p=509974017]]>

An open world game set in Paris during the French Revolution? I was very excited for the newest release in Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series, Assassin’s Creed Unity. It is the 7th/8th installment, released on the same date as Assassin’s Creed Rogue. Unity follows the story of Arno, a cocky douchebag; however, much to the disappointment of my inner history nerd, the storyline does not explicitly interact with the revolution, instead simply running parallel, using the environment more as a backdrop.

Ubisoft’s large, sprawling recreation of Paris in Assassin’s Creed Unity looks fantastic, with the ability to explore the entirety of the map (including the underground sections, and the interiors of buildings) without loading screens. The downside of this is that the initial loading screen is long, up to a minute long. But once it has loaded, you are set until the next mission cutscene. You can also fast travel between locations, however sometimes with the load time, it is just easier to walk there. The load times can be forgiven when you look at the detail of the buildings and architecture. It really looks amazing, especially when you look at the (to scale) game version of the Notre Dame. Really, its beauty is awe-inspiring. Combined with this beautiful map is one of my favourite additions to the Unity game: finally, a button allowing us to free run down buildings. It has been a long time coming. No more do I have to stand on the top of a building and go “Fuck. Reckon I can make that jump?” and then jumping to my death anyway because dying and respawning is probably quicker than trying to work my way down the goddamn building.

Image source: Imgur user torkel1000

The map is Unity is 3D, and allows you to rotate almost to ground level, so looking at a building, you can see whether the chest or mission you want is on the ground level or higher up in a building. This is useful, however it is difficult to tell when a collectible is underground. The map also looks impossibly cluttered to start with unless you apply a filter.

A new style of combat is introduced in this Assassin’s Creed game, which is arguably more difficult (to me at least) from previous games. There is definitely more ‘encouragement’ towards stealth gameplay. When you engage in combat with an enemy, they have stars above their head, indicating their skill. One star being least skilled, five stars being most skilled. This is handy when working out whether to stand and fight, or throw a smoke bomb and fucking bail. You also have a set of stars, changing depending on how you fit out Arno with upgraded weapons and gear. This represents your skill and ability to take on more skilled enemies. This combat system can get very difficult very quickly, and the five star enemies can fuck. You. Up. Very quickly. Two hits and they dramatically stab you in the throat. At the start of the game I found the combat to be frustratingly difficult, but as you level up your gear and weapons (which feels futile at first), it becomes a lot more instinctive and more fun to play.

You can fit out Arno’s gear and weapons at any time provided you are anonymous and on flat ground (apparently roofs also count as flat ground) from the pause menu, even in the middle of a mission. Each different piece of gear available has different advantages, whether it be more health, more stealth capabilities, or more ammo capacity. This is useful when roaming the city, if you want to go around and collect more money from locked chests, you can change your belt to one which allows you to hold more lockpicks (the standard is five, which is definitely not enough). Then if you go into a mission where you keep dying, you can change it in the mission to one which allows you to hold more medicine, or just fit our Arno to suit the mission.

Ubisoft were heavily criticised for releasing Assassin’s Creed Unity full of bugs and glitches. Some of these were game breaking, such as falling through the ground, getting stuck in the infrastructure, and getting stuck in haystacks. Others were purely aesthetic, like the characters in cutscenes missing faces, or Arno’s uncanny ability to stand on a building with one foot in the air. While I do not condone a company releasing a heavily glitched game, to Ubisoft’s credit they acknowledged the disappointment experienced and have worked pretty timely to fix these issues. At the time of writing this, the third patch has just been released, which fixes (to my knowledge) all of the game breaking glitches. They have also sent out an email to all users offering the upcoming Dead Kings DLC free for everyone. Sort of like a downloadable olive branch.

As you can see, the glitches I experienced most often were purely aesthetic, with zero impact on the gameplay. Perhaps I am a forgiving person, but I find the fact it was so heavily criticised, to the point where people said it was unplayable, to be an overreaction. I can only speak from what I experienced playing the game, but I did not find it to be unplayable, and I experienced no frame rate drops which others complained of. To get four game breaking glitches out of about 20 hours of gameplay is not that bad. It is definitely not desirable, but in my opinion it does not take too much from the game. Especially considering these have now been fixed. I found the glitches to be only a temporary and minor blight on the overall quality of the game.

Another heavily condemned and completely unavoidable aspect of Assassin’s Creed Unity is Ubisoft’s inclusion of microtransactions. While I think the fact that they exist in this game is absolute bullshit, I found them to be of no effect on my gameplay, and easily ignorable. To simplify it:

You buy gear with Livres (earned in game). You upgrade your gear with Creed Points (earned in game). Or you buy/upgrade your gear with “Helix credits”, which you buy with your hard earned money, from anywhere from $20USD to $100USD, which bypassing needing to earn money and Creed Points.

But the thing is – Creed points are ridiculously easy to earn. With all my gear I own for Arno upgraded, I still have 20 thousand spare Creed points. You earn points both in missions and free roaming, just by doing Assassiny stuff. Air assassination? 150 Creed points. Vanish from conflict? 50 Creed points, etc etc. Once you start doing social club missions, money starts rolling in. I found no need or temptation to buy Helix credits, and I feel like anyone who did had no real interest in actually playing the game.

My issue along these lines was less with the microtransactions present in the game, and more with the horribly implemented “interconnectedness” that Ubisoft has gone for. They’ve put in four different types of unlockable chests in the game. Two of these can only be unlocked by either playing the ACUnity Companion phone app, or by linking an AC Initiates account to your UPlay account, and levelling up. How you level up, I have no idea, because it’s pretty much not explained, or I was too busy rolling my eyes and missed the explanation. These are two poorly thought out features which only distract from the gameplay. From the brief period of time I used the Unity companion app I found it to be clunky, battery draining and stupidly difficult to use. It is really off putting, as neither the game nor the app explain how to use the app to open the chests in game. When I am sitting at home playing Xbox, I want to be doing just that, playing Xbox, not wondering if I played enough on my phone to unlock things in the game. Furthermore, you need to use the companion app as you are playing Unity, meaning you cannot do anything on the go to further your Unity gameplay. Because I really like having to pause my Xbox game to fuck around on my phone, and I’m sure you guys will too right? Oh, and it might wipe your saved game.

As far as the missions and collectables go, you could probably spend more time playing the side missions and opening chests then you could spend on the main storyline. The side missions are vast, ranging from murder mysteries (my favourite), where you find a dead body, interview suspects and track down the killer, to social club missions, which earn you more income, to Paris stories and multiplayer missions. A lot of the main missions give you your own way to go about the mission, telling you how many guards, entrances and hiding places, with some missions offering you other smaller objectives inside that mission that can aid you. These are optional. There is no shortage of in game content to keep you playing, even if you didn’t enjoy the main storyline. And why wouldn’t you enjoy the main storyline? You get a hot redheaded Templar girlfriend, and have sex with her in a hot air balloon. Okay, so Arno is a bit of a douche, and you roll your eyes every time he opens his stupid mouth. The main story does leave a little to be desired, it is not bad, but it is not fantastic. This is not too much of an issue to me, as I have always believed that storyline is secondary to gameplay. A game could have the best story in the world, but if the gameplay sucks, I’m not going to play it. The opposite is in effect here. Apart from a few cool twists that you don’t see coming, the main storyline is an agreeable, somewhat cliché, love story between two impossibly attractive rich kids out for revenge. And as mentioned earlier, the variety of side missions available is more than enough to make up for any disinterest you may feel towards the main storyline.

Overall, Unity is a fantastic game, both visually and in its gameplay, brought down only by glitches and the sneaky inclusion of microtransactions. This is a scary look into what we might have to expect in the future, but hopefully the public scorn thrown Ubisoft’s way is enough to discourage them and other companies from trying it again. The storyline is solid, the gameplay is engaging and really, I don’t believe that Unity warranted some of the criticism that it gained. I had very little problems playing it, and found it to be an engrossing addition to the Assassin’s Creed series.

7.5

Select Start Media was provided with a review copy of Assassin’s Creed Unity for Xbox One by Ubisoft.

Particulars is a unique title and brand new poster child for well-rounded independent games. It demonstrates the capability of independent developers to create a moving story, believable, relatable characters, as well as amusing, functional gameplay with focused direction and honest creativity. I’ll have to justify my use of a lot of the words in that last sentence, but I suppose that’s what all these other words down here are for. While Particulars won’t be earning mainstream Game of the Year awards, SeeThrough Studios have done amazing work on this title, so I’m more than happy to affirm my appreciation. Go you, people!

It doesn’t take long to realise Particulars is an Australian game; the opening credits show support from government bodies Screen NSW and Screen Australia (which is pretty rad) and are met with an answering machine calling out “Hey Allie, it’s ya Dad”, in accent-ridden glory. This opening scene is filled to the brim with tiny details that give hints to who this “Allie” person is: the earphone/laptop combo, coffee-stained newspapers, bin full of crumpled papers, wilting houseplant, unkempt doormat. All the information any player could need to enjoy the plot is shared without the game plummeting down the far-too-common pitfall of lazy exposition; the absolutely paramount rule of “show, don’t tell” is adhered to brilliantly from this opening shot through to the closure-inducing closer.

I adore that no single character throughout the almost minimalist plot is clearly “the baddie”, something that has come to be expected in lesser titles: an inexplicably despicable entity, the defeat of which drives the entire plot, because that’s how ya make a narrative, right?

Instead, the plot is a troubling and sad story about grief and coping with depression, with insights from the perspectives of the protagonist’s loved ones too. While the approach to narrative is amazing, the plot points in the later-middle stages of the game feel repetitive and lacklustre, as if they don’t deliver on the promising mystery that’s established early on. Upon completion of the game and a gaze on the big picture, I can see why I struggled through those sections and reprimand myself accordingly. The plot is simple and fluid, and delivered in small bite sizes. Most importantly, it is communicated in as few words as necessary with a clear direction, making sure to not waste anyone’s time with superfluous waffle.

Sometimes the quotes get deep. So deep, Gabi.

Much of the game is spent inside a dark, dank storage unit (presumably on the bad side of town), where we find Allie, a misunderstood young woman swamped by grief taking comfort in her greatest strength and passion: science. Specifically a personal project of hers: a pseudo-educational simulated subatomic universe encapsulated within the confines of an arcade machine, in which we mess around with particle physics. I say “pseudo-educational” because while Particulars has opened my eyes to the insane world that exists within atoms, I still have an absolutely inept understanding of the concepts exhibited through Particulars. I suspect players are meant to consciously try to connect particular blobs with other particular blobs to progress, but I often found that button mashing and dodging the ensuing chaos works just as well. I am disappointed (with myself) that the reasonably paced explanation process felt so difficult to employ in gameplay, but relieved that this didn’t shackle my enjoyment one bit. Hooray!

Preceding each level is a short quote from Allison’s life that helps shed some information either on the story or, in some cases, on the topic of subatomic whatsyamacallits. Most of these are heavy hitters such as Dad, best-friend Gabi, and family friend-turned boss Dr. Philippa Grey, with the occasional piece of literature or situational character. Anyway, that’s probably enough on the narrative presentation without giving too much away. Let’s move on.

This may not look terrifying. Or maybe it does. Trust me, it is.

SeeThrough Studios have managed to steer clear of typical arcade game blunders that utterly ruin the experience: arbitrary point systems, forced competition, and obnoxious “Level Complete!!!” signs, all of which drive me actually crazy. Shit-smearing crazy. So thank you. As a puzzle game, Particulars still suffers from the inevitable dilemma of presenting laughably easy or insufferably difficult final stages, falling squarely into the latter camp. The goals of each level are simple and communicated well, but as mentioned earlier, I found it difficult to understand entirely the steps to achieve these goals. “Deliver an Anti-Top Quark” – Right, I’ll move these things over by that an- Oh, that worked? Okay, cool beans.

Available to help quell this issue is constant access to an informational panel detailing relationships between particles, but it’s not quite enough to wrap a dull head like mine around it all. The game lasts a nice, rewarding six hours, possibly more for the more clue-y kind, though with the omission of the unnecessary, forced-replayability factors as mentioned above, I cannot see much of a replayability factor for Particulars. Fair trade.

The choppy music and art design for cutscenes at the end of each chapter (of which there are a hearty 10) have a generally nice appeal but are lost in the exasperated relief of finally completing that puzzle, or struggling to follow exactly. The protagonist is difficult to understand (as stated by ex-boyfriend Graham), both for in-game characters, and those controlling the game.

This level was an absolute mess, I’m not even going to try to explain.

Playing with subatomic particles is an interesting and fresh approach to gameplay for what otherwise may be a silly arcade idea, and the honest and creative delivery of narrative in this title strings together the premise in a convincing and respectable manner. That’s a good term for Particulars: respectable. A respectable arcade game that doesn’t feel like it’s skimping out on any individual element, while utilizing level designs and the player’s time as effectively as possible. Even if it is a bit too complex for my poor mind.

8.0

Select Start Media was provided with a copy of Particulars by SeeThrough Studios.

Disclosure: A developer on Particulars went to high school with our writer Jess Zammit.

]]>http://selectstartmedia.net/2014/12/08/particulars/feed/0nicklongshawparticularsI can't blame her for falling asleep there, that desk chair looks hella comfy.Sometimes the quotes get deep. So deep, Gabi.This may not look terrifying. Or maybe it does. Trust me, it is.This level was an absolute mess for me, I'm not even going to try to explain.Endless Legendhttp://selectstartmedia.net/2014/11/17/endless-legend/
http://selectstartmedia.net/2014/11/17/endless-legend/#commentsMon, 17 Nov 2014 11:19:54 +0000http://selectstartmedia.net/?p=509973997]]>

Endless Legend is an engaging and enjoyable 4X strategy game with a sharp and appealing interface and interesting creative content that is not taken advantage of to the same extent as the skill and empire upgrade systems. Coming across a new minor faction of strange frozen giants or fire-possessed skeletons is interesting before you eradicate the flock; at this point you’re left with the same empty piece of lore-ridden land in any case. The different factions you can play as, however, are explored in greater creative depth and add to replayability – it is unfortunate the same cannot be said for your enemies. Walking the well-trodden path, Endless Legend still manages to tell some interesting stories and throw some enjoyable challenges along that pleasant, well-designed path.

I have no idea what I’m doing. Whatever’s going on, it’s fun.

4X strategy titles tend to have very similar elements, particularly that whole “eXplore, eXpand, eXploit and eXterminate” side of things that earns that 4X name, and what gameplay elements we’ve seen dozens of times before are executed smoothly and comfortably in Endless Legend. Upon taking a few moments to fully understand the control schemes and objectives, players can confidently take the helm and begin commanding an empire – maybe not confidently, but at least comfortably.

It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the number of different resources, stats and scales you need to keep tabs on, particularly if you are new to the genre. The efficiency of your resource management affects your individual cities’ industrial and population growth, political capabilities and the general expansion of your empire in typical 4X tradition, while the specificity of soldier and hero customisation resembles a fuller RPG title, which is also reliant on the same resources as larger-scale empirical decisions. Deciding between upgrading your hero’s armour and weaponry or purchasing an upgrade in agricultural capability is initially confronting, especially since the significance of many of your decisions is not made apparent early on. The gnawing anxiety that comes with making unprepared decisions is ever present throughout Endless Legend, but it’s no deal-breaker.

This is more my thing – pretty colours, shiny icons. This I can do.

This is not a title that can be rushed into and smashed out over a weekend; with the seemingly insurmountable number of tasks and unmanageable distinct resources as mentioned above, following the tutorial from start to finish is an absolute must. Forget how to perform the simplest of tasks (or worse yet, forget the task altogether) and your empire will be held back and suffer as a result.

This game is also not for the impatient – the beginning stages of city and army development are tragically uninspiring, and it is only when real conflict threatens to impede your progress that challenge rears its head and brings out the best in Endless Legend. The combat system is basic (encouraging me to auto-complete battles frighteningly often), and the constant, almost bureaucratic decision making can tire you out, but the soothing, catchy music encourages you to just relax, take your time, and get back in the game. I even found myself singing along at one point.

So many words, and diagrams and graphs ahhh! I’m growing quite fond of it now…

I don’t get to play a lot of games like Endless Legend, I’ll admit. And when I do, I am persistently let down by a genre that feels entrenched in slow, tedious and awkward gameplay elements and trite creative content, despite appearing on the cover to be such an involving treat. Willing to forget this disillusionment, I embrace the hurts-my-brain strategy that powers Endless Legend, and whole-heartedly recommend it.

Just play the tutorial first, because it’s seriously confusing if you don’t.

8.1

Select Start Media was provided with a copy of Endless Legend by Amplitude Studios.

]]>http://selectstartmedia.net/2014/11/17/endless-legend/feed/0nicklongshawendlesslegend headerI have no idea what I'm doing. Whatever's going on, it's fun.This is more my thing - pretty colours, shiny icons. This I can do.So many words, and diagrams and graphs ahhh! I'm growing quite fond of it now...A Story About My Unclehttp://selectstartmedia.net/2014/11/16/a-story-about-my-uncle/
http://selectstartmedia.net/2014/11/16/a-story-about-my-uncle/#commentsSun, 16 Nov 2014 08:30:54 +0000http://selectstartmedia.net/?p=509973987]]>

This may come as a surprise, but A Story About My Uncle was the first game I ever heard described as a ‘non-violent first-person platform adventure’, and as soon as I heard that description I was excited by the prospect of what that could mean. Portal without the constant harassment by GLaDOS? Flying through the skies with a sense of childlike whimsy and without worrying about being horrifically attacked? The possibilities were great. As it turned out, I managed to work out how to predict how much someone was likely to enjoy ASAMU by boiling it down to a simple question: how much do you like to grapple? If the answer is ‘so very much! I could grapple all day!’ then (spoilers for the direction of this review) this may very well be the game for you. If not, you might be in for some frustration.

Probably that guy you followed down there.

The game is experienced from the perspective of an unnamed narrator who is telling his daughter a story from his own childhood, in which his favourite uncle disappeared without a trace and he decided to go searching for him. Apparently, because this uncle was prone to wacky disappearances, the fact that he was essentially a missing person wasn’t of any concern to anyone, but it did make it convenient for his nephew to go on a solo mission through an underground world to try and track him down. In wacky Uncle Fred’s abandoned house, our protagonist finds a strange robotic suit that seems to have been designed exactly for him and allows him to do just that – gallivant through the darkness on his epic quest. I should make it clear at this point that by ‘gallivanting’, I mean grappling, and by ‘epic’, I really mean ‘irresponsible’. But of course, that sounds far less whimsical.

Occasionally, the game managed to be stunning and mysterious.

I’m being harsh, but in all fairness this game really does feel like a bedtime story. As you grapple through caves of slightly differing climates, the narrator talks about the uncertainty and growing fear of what might be ahead, and the voice acting does its bit for the most part in building tension at a satisfactory pace. Unfortunately, it all starts to feel a little drawn out as you fling from grapple to grapple, and it quickly begun to feel like each little piece of the story I was being given served only as an attempt at an excuse for more grappling. Rather stunning graphics and a pleasant soundtrack weren’t enough to stop this game from feeling like it was trying to be longer than it needed to be to tell the story it wanted to tell, even after the introduction of a new set of characters halfway through. Revealing too much about them would be spoiling a story that really should be experienced in full, but I will say that while they spiced the story up a little, they also acted as fuel for my nightmares. I think it was something about the eyes, but… see for yourself. Maybe it’s just me.

She looks like she’s coming straight at me. *shivers*

Again, I return to discussion of the grappling. At first, I made the grave mistake of trying to play this with a laptop mouse, but quickly realized that wasn’t going to cut it. I did, however, expect that switching to a proper mouse might make things somewhat easier and less nausea-inducing, and I honestly didn’t find it helped that much. Most of the grapple points throughout the caves in ASAMU are quite small and require precise aim to attach to them, which is difficult to master when you’re also flying through the air and trying to adjust the camera angle. It’s possible that I’m just particularly bad at platformers, or first-person games in general, but I didn’t find the mechanics to be particularly forgiving, and given that the gameplay was quite repetitive I soon grew quite tired of the whole thing. There just wasn’t enough reward or variation to warrant punishing myself with further dizziness in order to continue, and I should admit that I nearly gave up more than once. Of course, if unlike me you have actual skill when it comes to platformers and you don’t have ridiculously terrible depth perception (that I wasn’t aware I had until I tried to play this game), you might find this to be the wonderful, whimsical, flying-through-the-air-with-childlike-joy experience that I hoped it would be.

Sometimes it was just straight out breathtaking.

In the end, I have to conclude that ASAMU feels like a game for children. Very, very patient children, of course. The narrative is engaging and appropriate for a younger audience, and I do imagine there could be a genuine sense of wonder that would envelop you if you played through this without the overwhelming air of frustration that engulfed me through my whole journey. Plus, the soundtrack and visuals of what I would now like to call Endless Grappling 2013 do come together to create a beautiful atmosphere in which to grapple. I’m just not sure that it would be worth playing this if you weren’t primarily into it for the grapple extravaganza.

6.5

Select Start Media was given a review copy of A Story About My Uncle by Gone North Games.

]]>http://selectstartmedia.net/2014/11/16/a-story-about-my-uncle/feed/3jesszammitasamuProbably that guy you followed down there.Occasionally, the game managed to be stunning and mysterious.She looks like she's coming straight at me. *shivers*Sometimes it was just straight out breathtaking.The Sims 4http://selectstartmedia.net/2014/11/13/the-sims-4/
http://selectstartmedia.net/2014/11/13/the-sims-4/#commentsThu, 13 Nov 2014 11:56:12 +0000http://selectstartmedia.net/?p=509973923]]>

I don’t think I’ve ever heard as much negative hype about a game leading up to its release than I did with the Sims 4. Almost everything I read about it was to do with the countless removal of features from past iterations in the series, or the endless bugs that apparently rendered it completely unplayable. As someone who hasn’t really invested much time in any of the Sims games after the very first, the removal of toddlers wasn’t something that particularly bothered me. Even so, after spending a bunch of time in this entry as a relative newcomer to the series, I found the pre-release negativity to be wholly without grounding–the Sims 4 not only works, but works brilliantly. There’s just something about creating your character and have them do all the things you know you should but are too lazy to do in real life, like get a job you actually enjoy or go jogging once a day. Not many other games are capable of causing an existential crisis by realising that my character has developed the same body type as me in real life.

When I say “works brilliantly,” I don’t just mean runs without being too buggy–that’s something that should just be assumed of a new release, not something that the audience should be thankful for. I’m not about to give Maxis a standing ovation for shipping a product that actually works. In this context, “works brilliantly” means that the revamped user interface is infinitely more responsive and intuitive than it was in its predecessor. Everything just, well, “works.” I never found myself clicking around the menus trying to find something, as even with my limited Sims experience, I instinctively knew how everything worked. Except for rotating objects in buy mode. Why can we only rotate one way? It’s a minor gripe, sure, but shit does it get annoying.

Who doesn’t love weeing themselves in the pool?

Additionally, build mode is a bit of a chore this time around. Rooms are independent objects defined as an area enclosed by walls–in theory, this works, but in practice, expanding rooms by deleting and moving sections of wall can be a nightmare if the room system doesn’t detect the re-enclosure of the area. Ceilings are another thing I didn’t completely grasp, as every deck I made seemed to also produce a ceiling and I could not, for the life of me, work out how to get rid of it. I feel like a lot of the complexity and flexibility of build mode is to cater to people who are far more creative than myself. For those of us who are pretty shit, expect to do a lot of trial and error before you actually come to a result you’re happy with. Even then, with its inherent complexity, there are still some simple aspects that aren’t present that even I would love to see included, such as split-level houses, curved walls, basements, and even just landings in staircases (or spiral staircases).

One of the most contentious talking points with regards to the Sims 4 is the reversion from the open world design of its predecessor to a much more closed off, single neighbourhood environment. I’m sure there’ll be a lot of people who loved how open the world in the Sims 3 was, but I much prefer being able to direct my family within their house without my computer constantly processing everything else that’s going on in the entire world. The game shouldn’t have to chug along because some kid on the other side of the in-game world is trying to eat his cereal. I do miss the sim progression that was present in the Sims 3, however. There was something special about seeing Poops McGee, the first Sim you ever created, jog past your new family’s mansion every now and then, or seeing the fourth generation of the Dicks family just wandering around.

Ahh, the humble bachelor pad. As always, the Sims 4 is far more satisfying without cheats.

To be fair, the Sims feel more “human” in the Sims 4. They can multitask now! Is your Sim feeling a bit lonely but experiencing explosive diarrhea that’s preventing them from going out? Simple! Call your buddies from the toilet! Watch TV while talking, watch TV while eating, watch TV while pooping (if you’re posh enough to put a plasma screen in the bathroom)–the possibilities really are endless. It may not seem like much, but it goes a long way in making your Sims feel incredibly more realistic. Also contributing to the increased humanity of the Sims is the addition of “moodlets,” which are exploitable moods (such as happy, flirty, energised, or sad) caused by external influences. A condition for being promoted, for example, might be to go to work while confident, which you can trigger by brushing your teeth right before hopping into the carpool. It’s a neat, innovative new feature that really adds life and emotion to your Sims’ day to day routine.

If there’s one area in which customisation is lacking, it’s in colour palettes. Whether on couches or clothing, there really isn’t that many options when it comes to selecting what colours you want to be looking at. One of my favourite male tops in the Sims 4 is a plain t-shirt with a keffiyeh on top. Thing is, though, that you’re only limited to about 8 colour combinations. If you want a royal blue shirt with a grey keffiyeh, you’re in luck; but you want a purple top? Or want to make that scarf yellow? Too bad. Even just with plain t-shirts–why is there no option to customise the colours we’re wearing? Character customisation as a whole is somewhat disappointing in the Sims 4. Apart from the cheesy blue and green skin tones, there’s really not much you can do to set your Sim distinctly apart from the rest of the neighbourhood. The selection of hairstyles on offer really is abysmal; it feels like I’m back in the Sims 1 and having to scroll through about fifteen preset “head” choices.

I have a similar issue with furnishings–even through there are a relatively large number of colours for wallpaper and whatnot, there’s no customisability. I can’t think to myself “hmm, I like this shade of blue but I’d much rather it just a tad darker” and then darken it. If it’s not just how you want it, then that’s just the way the cookie crumbles. Coming from the infinite possibilities that Create-a-Style in the Sims 3 and Medieval offered, the Sims 4 seems severely limited.

I tried to flirt with the Grim Reaper to spare the life of one of her friends at her partner’s birthday party. It didn’t work.

To be fair, this will only seriously impact your enjoyment if you’re the sort of person who relishes meticulously tweaking every aspect of their Sims’ home. If it’s been removed to improve how well the game actually runs, then I’m all for it. Its predecessor was one of the worst running piles of crap in the history of video games. That goes to show how fantastic the Sims franchise is, just in concept–I’ve got a friend whose neighbourhood on the Sims 3 often drops down to 3 or 4 frames per second, and she still plays it for hours on end. Sometimes it crashes and she loses all her progress, and yet she soldiers on.

That brings me to one last thing that I just don’t understand. Why was the Sims 4 not released on Mac at the same time as PC? Surely EA/Maxis know that a huge amount of their market use OS X. I sort of get the desire to release as soon as it’s completed, but surely, sales wise, they would have been better off releasing for both platforms simultaneously? I mean, I’m not a marketing guru so I have no idea, it just seems like a bit of an oversight. Maybe the PC is being used as a bit of a test market? Already we’ve seen tons of new content added–pools, ghosts, eye colours–maybe the PC release was just to inspect the waters, and when the game is actually finished being tweaked, it’ll see the life of day on OS X?

Oh, there’s new roofing and stuff too. That’s cool I guess, but it’s not exactly a game changer.

In any case, the decision to step up from the Sims 3 to the Sims 4 largely depends on what you get out of the former. If you enjoyed the grand scale of the Sims 3, with its open world and the infinite number of things to do; and you weren’t all that bothered by the fact that it ran like arse, then maybe hold off on its successor until a bit more content has been added, at least. If, like me, you’re not all that fussed about the open world and the poor performance of the Sims 3 prevented you from enjoying it, then this game is absolutely for you. On the fence? As long as you’re not in an unhealthy relationship with the open world, I really do recommend the Sims 4. The addition of free content is a surprisingly kind move from EA/Maxis–I know the first thought a lot of us had when pools weren’t included in the main game was “ah fuck, they’re going to rob us with a paid expansion pack.” Honestly, I really enjoyed the time I spent (and will continue to spend) in the Sims 4, and am really looking forward to future updates. Given all the shit I heard about this game before its release, I did not expect to be sitting here writing a positive review, but here we are.

8.0

Select Start Media was provided with a review copy of The Sims 4 by EA Australia.

]]>http://selectstartmedia.net/2014/11/13/the-sims-4/feed/0pearly27sims4headerTS4 2014-11-05 21-32-45-94Ahh, the humble bachelor pad. As always, the Sims 4 is far more satisfying without cheats.I tried to flirt with the Grim Reaper to spare the life of one of her friends at her partner's birthday party. It didn't work.Oh, there's new roofing and stuff too. That's cool I guess, but it's not exactly a game changer.This Gaming Life: Interview with Yon from Tripodhttp://selectstartmedia.net/2014/11/05/this-gaming-life-interview-with-yon-from-tripod/
http://selectstartmedia.net/2014/11/05/this-gaming-life-interview-with-yon-from-tripod/#commentsWed, 05 Nov 2014 10:52:03 +0000http://selectstartmedia.net/?p=509973928]]>Tripod, creators of possibly the geekiest three-part harmonies in existence and once described as “a bit too Christian a capella for my liking,” performed a concert on Friday night of Melbourne’s PAX Australia expo as a preview of their upcoming show This Gaming Life. Part of the 2015 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Tripod has teamed up with Grammy-winner Austin Wintory, composer of the soundtrack for Journey, and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra with This Gaming Life, a musical tribute to a shared love of video games. I had a chance to catch up with Yon from Tripod, to ask him a bit about his personal love of video games; the future of This Gaming Life; and his opinion on keyboard warriors.

Britt: What sort of games do you like playing the most?

Yon: I don’t know if you saw our show last night but I kind of gravitate towards games that have guns in them. That being said, I have played Journey. That’s just between you and me. My favourite game for a while is The Last of Us and I just got the new PS4 version and I’m going to replay it on that.

What do you feel is an aspect of video game culture that could be improved?

Just I think it goes beyond video game culture what I’m about to say. People who just sit at their keyboard and hate on people. I sort of think maybe before you start typing, think would you say this to someone’s face? And clearly that’s a big thing at the moment in the gaming world, but it’s happening all over.

This Gaming Life, do you plan to bring it to Sydney?

Absolutely. It’s all a matter of getting the orchestra on board. So if this goes well in Melbourne, the plan is to do Sydney, Brisbane and Perth. We’ve wanted to do an orchestra show for ages. I don’t know if you know our show Tripod vs. the Dragon, but that was originally, we started writing it to perform with an orchestra and it just didn’t happen. We ended up just turning it into a 4 member thing; it was very lo-fi, which had its own charm. But we still hadn’t satisfied that yearning. Then we bumped into Andrew from the MSO and he was like “let’s do something together”. He was a fan. It was kind of funny coz he was a fan of the show he ended up doing as 4 hander. So we ended up saying “let’s do a show about games, but go deep”. So hopefully it’s relatable for other people, but we’ve gone personal, we’ve really gone about talking about our own experiences, so hopefully it’s kind of universal. We didn’t just want to pack it full of references or something that people will laugh at. There might be the odd one, you can’t help it, but I want it to be funny, but hopefully a celebration of games.

So when will we see you guys in Sydney?

Well we are coming back to do Perfect Tripod, that’s pretty much confirmed, we’ve been doing this show with Eddie Perfect and I think that’s happening in May, just after This Gaming Life in April.

One of the songs in your show is about the unrealistic portrayal of female characters in video games. What are your thoughts on that?

It’s not that different to what goes on in film I reckon. In any art form, you want everything to be represented in a way that is meaningful and I think the problem is that games have matured and it has reached a point where we can now expect games to treat women in the same way that we expect films to. But there are still going to be films… like, Michael Bay is still going to make films that are no worse (I mean, they’re terrible films), but politically they’re horrible. And I think it’s just we are on that tipping point and games like GTA which are considered by gamers to be quality games still have that one thing where people go “we all think this game is great and really smart, but why does it do that?”. So I definitely love games like Last of Us. Such a great example of a female character. That game blows me away. I don’t think anyone would argue, even the worst hater would agree that that is great and we should see more of that in games.

How long have you been a gamer for?

I reckon I got more serious, I’ve dropped in and out, but probably early 90s was when I got a PC that could play games. Tie Fighter was the first game I really got into. As a kid, games were only in arcades, so I used to do that, play Space Invaders and the odd game like that, but I would count from when I first got a PC and I started to get really into it?

What was the game that pulled you down the rabbit hole of being a gamer?

Probably is Tie Fighter. I was a huge star wars fan as a kid and that was my in. I enjoyed that there was a bit of depth to it. There have been various things along the way, clearly Last of Us has got me going again from what I said before, but that [Tie Fighter] would be the one.

As a musician, how important do you think soundtracks are in games?

I think it varies. Sometimes some games, again Last of Us, music was so sparingly used and so perfect. Going back to Tie Fighter, it was essential in that, Even though it was very early in the days of music and what they could do, it was only MIDI, they couldn’t use full audio because it wouldn’t fit on the disc. But it was all event driven. So the enemy would come on the screen and DA DA DA DA DA DA DA, so it would move with the action. It was so dynamic. I don’t understand how game composers do that. I’m talking to a lot of people here trying to get my head around it because it seems really complicated to me. Some games it’s not important, when I play Battlefield I don’t think there is any music, I don’t want music, it depends on the game.

Xbox, PC or PlayStation?

Well Tripod had an agreement that we would all get the same console this time around. Last generation, Scotty had an Xbox and Gatesy and I both had a PlayStation. So we agreed we would get the same, and we hadn’t decided which it was going to be, because it was pretty neck and neck for us which one we were going to get, but then Gateseys friend bought him a PS4 so we went “okay, we’ll all get a PS4”

If you had all three in front of you and the same game in them all?

Probably a PC. But I haven’t played a game on a PC in years, because I got sick of having to upgrade my computer, it annoyed me. Maybe it’s because I’m old now but I don’t want to tinker. I understand people who want to be able to configure and tinker and have their own rig, but I don’t want to do it, I don’t have time to do that, I just want to put a game in and play.